QUALIDADE DO MARACUJÁ-AMARELO COMERCIALIZADO EM RIO BRANCO, ACRE

Abstract

The present work had for objective to evaluate the quality of the yellow passion fruit marketed in Rio Branco, in the state of the Acre. This research was accomplished the months of April and May of 2006. It was collected fruits of four commercial establishments, being three supermarkets (A,B,C) and a free market (D). The experimental design was in randomized complete blocks with four treatments and seven replications (collection time). The experimental unit was constituted of fifteen fruits. Medium mass of the fruit of 177,62 g, revenue of pulp of 44,44%, thickness of the peel of 6,98 mm, color of the peel varying of 2 (partially it yellows) to 3 (totally it yellows), format index of 1,16, length of 90,26 mm, diameter of 73,83 mm and class varying from 3 to 4. The appearance intern e had index of 3,87 (seeds and pulp stuck to the endocarp and 80% of the juice in the arilos). Fruits with light damages in the of peel were 91,18% and 14,96% with deep damages, classified in the category III. The fruits presented the following composition: 38 mg 100g-1 of vitamin C, 11% of total soluble solids, 5,2% of titlatable total acidity total and ratio of 2,3. The medium price to the consumer was of R$2.55/kg. It was verified by the characteristics analyzed that the establishment A, B and C presented better quality of the fruits in relation to the medium mass, diameter, length and format index. The establishment B markets fruits with larger market price (R$3.68/kg). Therefore, the passion fruit marketed in the municipal district of Rio Branco it is of low quality and prices above the production cost.